It is known in the prior art to provide multiple television displays in a public setting so that viewers can choose to watch any one of multiple television programs. Sometimes these displays broadcast without any audio or include audio that is difficult to hear in the display's environment. In some settings, these displays may include subtitles, but subtitles may prove difficult to keep up with or may be disharmonious with the displayed video.
It is also known in the prior art to broadcast television and radio simultaneously, in a process often referred to as simulcasting or simultaneous broadcasting. This method of broadcasting, used primarily before TV sound transmission was possible, includes transmitting the audio or sound portion of a television broadcast to a radio, while transmitting the corresponding video portion to a television.
It is also known in the prior art to transmit sound to a device separate from a television display. Hospitals often accommodate such transmissions, for example through an audio system on patient's bed.
While technological advances in television broadcasts have significantly reduced the use of broadcasting techniques such as simulcasting, some of these advances have introduced new challenges and invited opportunity for additional innovations in the wake of social television broadcasting's increasing popularity.